


Picking Up the Pieces

by Ange_de_la_Mort



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory Negotiations, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-22 11:57:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21301679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ange_de_la_Mort/pseuds/Ange_de_la_Mort
Summary: What is supposed to be an ordinary day now that the world is saved turns into something else as soon as Cid says three little words. And not the ones Vincent would have expected.
Relationships: Cid Highwind/Shera, Cid Highwind/Vincent Valentine
Comments: 2
Kudos: 38





	Picking Up the Pieces

"We gotta talk."

These are three words that no one likes to hear, especially when they are pronounced in this particular type of tone that is more suited for a funeral than for a normal conversation. They are words that herald a change, one that can never be reversed.

Vincent knows this tone of voice, this kind of conversation, but he didn't think these words could come from someone like Cid. Cid, who is always trying to seem unimpressed by the world out there. Cid, who led their little gang for some time and showed that he's not as carefree as he likes to be.

And now he wants to talk.

And it looks like it's urgent. Normally there's this constant sparkle in Cid's eyes when he's near Vincent, this little, unique way of showing that not even the end of the world could spoil his good mood. Now there's a shadow over Cids' face, a constant expression of circling thoughts. Vincent has already seen it coming that something's wrong. For several days already. He's not used to looking at Cid and seeing the cog wheels in his brain almost physically, to hearing the rattling of his thoughts almost bodily when they talk to each other or when Cid gives instructions to his crew and always throws him almost secret looks.

Silently, he follows Cid, heading up to the deck alongside him (now, of course, the question arises as to whether the subject of their conversation is so bad that Cid will throw himself off the Highwind afterwards, or whether it's so positive that he doesn't have to be afraid that _Vincent_ will push him down), where Cid takes a long look at the clouds as if they could tell him what to do next.

The seconds pass, just a fraction of a moment compared to the eternity Vincent has already spent in isolation, and yet the silence between them is so restless that he automatically tenses up a bit.

"I didn't think we'd survive this whole thing," are the first words Cid decides on.

Vincent frowns a little and blinks once, twice. Then he just says: "You didn't?"

"Hmm." Again there's a pause, and Vincent has to think about how Cid once told them all that he's terribly bad at making long speeches and thinking about his words instead of just saying what's on his mind. And yet he is obviously now thinking very carefully about what he is saying and how he is saying it. The corners of his mouth twitch with a faint smile, and he glances at Vincent laterally. "I mean, let's be honest, you of all people were so fucking _keen_ to throw yourself into a suicide mission."

He just scoffs and gently shakes his head, feeling the cool breeze of the headwind trying to ruffle his hair. "We all were. We all had our reasons." Some of them for more personal reasons than others, but they all had at least one purpose to fight and not just run away hoping that the end of the planet and all life would be as short and painless as possible. "You, too."

"Yeah, I ... I know. I know it was the right thing to do. But now it's ... it's over, right? And we gotta make sure to move on."

"Move on," is all he can say. Silently. Skeptically. For absolutely _inexplicable_ reasons, he feels that the conversation is taking a turn that he's not going to like. He narrows his eyes a tad and watches Cid closely; the slight twitch of his fingers towards his trouser pocket - where he still keeps a pack of cigarettes, despite having sworn solemnly that he will stop that nonsense if they survive the fight against Sephiroth. 'For emergencies only', he pompously said, as well as 'I can stop anytime' and 'It's not like I'm addicted.'

But now, there seems to be a so-called emergency, because he pulls the package out of his pocket and fidgets for one of the cigarettes. He also seems to be either unaware of the direction their conversation is taking or not to consider it negative, for he slowly nods to himself, as if trying to confirm what he is saying. "Yeah. Find something new to live for." With slightly trembling fingers, so faint that Vincent can't tell if it's because of the cold or because of something else, he lights the cigarette and puts it between his lips. Then he takes a deep breath and exhales, blowing a small cloud of smoke into the eternally blue sky. "I ... fuck." Only now does he really turn to Vincent to look him in the face. He looks contrite. Contrite and excited. "I asked Shera to marry me."

"Ah." That's all that comes over his lips. Because it feels like someone has poured a bucket of ice-cold water over him that washes all further words with and away from him. Because only a few weeks ago he really got used to the fact that the thing with him and Cid is one that actually works quite well. Maybe that has been his mistake. He's gotten used to it. Just as he got used to being happy in Lucrecia's vicinity at that time, before ... before _everything_ went terribly wrong.

Just like now.

Cid doesn't notice his inner turmoil. Of course he doesn't. Cid is always blunt and frank and straightforward, but not good at reading the things people don't articulate. He grins a little mischievously and scratches his neck, nervously pushing the cigarette from one corner of his mouth into the other. "I ... didn't think she'd say yes. You know. I didn't think she'd take me back after everything." Slowly he lets his hands drop and looks into the horizon with a sigh. His gaze turns somewhat inwards, probably remembering within fractions of a second all the things he 'fucked up'. "I was a giant piece of shit."

"I've heard." He has not yet met her in person. Shera. Although that's only partially true - of course he already met her. That one time just before they escaped from Rufus and the Turks with the Tiny Bronco. That's when he first saw her, in her white coat and glasses, with her hair so accurately tied together. Saw and noticed her right before joining the others in Cid's backyard to check out the plane. But he doesn't really know anything about her, which he is now almost painfully aware of. If he had been more concerned with her, he might have seen it coming. "So you're getting married. Congratulations."

"You don't sound too happy."

_Oh, no, really. Who would have thought?_ Vincent shrugs his shoulders to emphasize nonchalance and makes an effort to sound less exhausted than he suddenly feels. "No, I ... I _appreciate_ you telling me now and not later. And I guess you were right about all of us having to move on."

Now Cid furrows his brows and scrutinizes Vincent with a kind of confusion that he can't be sure of where it comes from. Wasn't that exactly why Cid wanted to talk to him? He has told him everything after all now, there is no reason to look at him like that ... Then Cid slaps his palm against his forehead. "What? Oh. Oh, shit. Fuck. _Vincent_." He lowers his hand and shakes his head as his face reflects a mixture of horror and laughter. "You really think I'm gonna break up with you now, don't you?"

"I was under the impression-"

Cid rolls his eyes and puts a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it firmly with a grin. "Yeah, no, no way. You're stuck with me."

Wait a second. That can't be right. It all sounds a little wrong. "But ... Shera. Are you really going to do that to her?"

All he gets in response is a bark of a laugh and another shake of Cid's head. "You really got the wrong impression, man. Wow. You're so incredibly dense sometimes, it's almost cute."

"... thank you?"

He can watch Cid take a deep breath and put the cigarette back between his lips. He takes a long moment to smoke in silence and crosses his arms in front of his chest, shoots Vincent an uncomfortably extensive look before rolling his eyes and saying: "Vincent. I've _told her_. About us. Of course I have, I mean, I was a giant ass to her, but I'd not be _that much of an ass_ to cheat on her now that we're going to be together again and marry and all that other stuff, and by the way she can't wait to meet you."

"Ah," Vincent says quietly, because he's not quite sure if he really got everything right by now. And because he might be a little embarrassed that he understood it all so completely wrong.

"And we've already decided that you can stay at our place and sleep in a real bed for the rest of however long you wanna stay with us. With me. I mean, if you really want to, we can drag one of those ugly coffins from Nibelheim over to our place, but I think that would ruin the mood. Especially if we wanna fuck. I won't fuck you in a coffin, that's for sure." Cid scratches his cheek and once more flashes one of his unbearable grins.

Vincent slowly shakes his head and puts a hand on his hip. Maybe he is a little touched by the thought of having a place of retreat where he can always stay. A new home after Hojo took everything from him. Still, there is no way he'd show it, not after embarrassing himself that much already just now. "Cid?"

"Yeah?"

"You really don't make any kind of sense sometimes," he remarks with a soft smile on his lips.

"I know, it's great, right? That's life sometimes. It's full of dumb stuff and rambling when you don't have a clue what to say and it's messy and kinda ugly, but it's still something to live for, right? Right?"

And when Cid looks at him like that, with bright eyes and a mischievous smile, Vincent can't help but return the smile and put a hand on his arm. "I guess," is what he says, and 'I love you, you giant idiot' is what he hopes to convey.


End file.
